The Strength of the Weak
by AussieTurtle
Summary: What happens when the greatest hero a family knew turns his back on everything that once defined him? After three years of silence, the small Hamato family finally see Leonardo once more, but he is vastly changed. They are all going to need to learn that what breaks you can't so easily be forgotten. TMNT Mostly 2k3. TAGS: slight AU, turtle tots, father, dad, children, etc.
1. Chapter 1: Home of the Mighty

**Chapter 1: Home of the Mighty**

The streetlights danced in the puddles of the road. Each step he took was heavy and took more effort than it should have. The want to turn back and walk away was immense. He could hardly breathe as he rounded a corner and found himself on a very familiar street. Near a very familiar house. Near some very familiar people and near a very familiar place. Home.

He breathed out deeply and closed his eyes as he focused on the feeling of air leaving his lungs. Crowds of people walked past him; around him. He let the sounds of their chatter and laughter wash over him and through him. He re-centred his mind.

He began to walk once more.

The street looked so... _same-ly_. Unchanged. The same small trees offered dappled light and the same old stores lined the street. The same signs, with the same proudly displayed sales. The same dingy alleyways with strewn trash and overlapping graffiti. It was almost as though nothing had changed.

He stood outside the door. For a moment more, he allowed himself to play with the idea of leaving. Giving up. Once upon a time, a lifetime ago, the thought would never have crossed his mind. But, though the time had been relatively short, he had changed very much.

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

No giving up now.

Voices from inside drifted to his ears. He could feel his heart picking up speed as all the lines and greetings that he had come up with fell from his mind. He couldn't tell whether he was excited, or terrified, or somewhere in between. The back of his neck was beginning to sweat and he found it hard to keep his chin up; the irresistible urge to look down at his feet was nagging at him, pulling at him as though he were some sort of puppet.

The door swung open and he found himself looking at a pale, freckled face with curled red hair and emerald green eyes.

"April… hi." He didn't know quite what else to say.

Her eyes squinted at him. Her friendly smile fell, just a little. She leant her hand against the doorframe and she glanced behind herself, uncertain.

"I… Leo?"

He looked down to his hands; the urge too much. He could feel his eyes warming up and his heart felt like it was being squelched like a sponge. He looked at his hands; his veined, patchy, tawny, very-human hands and his lot of five fingers.

"It's… been a while." He said. "Can I come in?"

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2: Evasion of the Wise

**Chapter 2: Evasion of the Wise**

April wasn't quite sure what else to do, so when he asked to come in, she nodded and stepped aside. She couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off of his. So much of him looked so different and unrecognisable but his eyes remained: a bright, sky-blue framed by ebony black lashes.

Even his composure was off. Leo, if this were truly him, was not the same man that he had been when she first met him. Gone was the cool, collected Leonardo. This man before her was uncertain, second-guessing. He didn't stand tall and he wouldn't meet her gaze. It was a look she knew well. It was a look Casey gave her after promising not to go chasing after Purple Dragons, and coming back with a broken arm. It was the look Raph gave when he followed in after him, with a terribly sprained ankle. Embarrassment. Shame.

After she shut the door, she turned to face him. He stood in the middle of the walkway, waiting. She wanted to get angry at him. To yell, or shout. To demand answers, to tell him how hard the last three years had been. No word, no calls, no letters. To tell him how badly his family had been and still was hurting. How worried they had been. The fear. The despair. She wanted so badly to be furious.

"Where have you been?" She asked instead, her voice broken. "What _happened_?"

He shook his head, "I… it's a long story."

Casey walked in from the lounge. He eyed Leo warily, "Who's this?"

Leo closed his eyes and pursed his lips momentarily. He then stood a little straighter and met Casey's gaze, "Hi, Case."

His voice was a little too strong, a little too forced and was laced with remorse.

"Shit," Casey said, "Leo?"

Leo gave two small nods and returned to staring at the carpet as though the faded 90s beige was the only thing in the world that interested him.

"Casey, go call the guys." April said.

"Right, yeah. Shit. Yeah. I'll do that."

April gently touched Leo's back and guided him to the lounge. Snacks covered the coffee table, the blinds had been pulled shut and the tv was paused.

"Sorry," Leo said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, no, it's fine." April said. "I'm just… I'm glad that you're okay."

A small scoff escaped his lips and he again began to trail his fingers along the length of his hands. April looked him over: the tawny skin, his oval shaped face, the freckles along his skin, his dark curled locks of hair, and- the scar running down along the length of his cheek.

"Leo?"

He looked at her with a face that resembled a kicked puppy, "Yeah?"

"Where did you get that?" She reached out to gently touch his cheek but he quickly turned away.

"It doesn't matter." He breathed in shakily. "I'm home now, and that's what matters."

It felt like the words had cut themselves into April's heart. Leo was wearing a sweater and she wondered what the long sleeves and soft cloth were hiding underneath. How many more scars had Leo garnered over the past three years? And who from?

"I've called the guys." Casey said, entering the room, "They'll be here soon."

"Are you hungry?" April asked. "Thirsty?"

"I'm okay." Leo said.

"I'll get you some water." April said anyway.

She left with Casey to the kitchen and retrieved a jug from the fridge along with a small pile of glasses.

"This is crazy, right?" Casey asked.

"It's crazy." April said. "Definitely crazy."

They returned to the lounge and April set out the glasses and water. Leo reached out and grabbed a glass and April couldn't help but stare. He moved so much like himself, with the same accidental grace that he had moved with since before she had met him. Even his expression and the stoicism of his body language spoke _Leonardo_ so clearly. And yet, she could not quite bring herself to associate this new look, this human form, with him.

April began to busy herself with packing away the snack foods while they waited for Leo's brothers. Time felt like it was going painfully slow and the questions were burning inside her mind. Yet, she knew that it would be best for them to all be there. Finally, she heard the sound of the guys entering from the basement entrance that they had dug into her shop many years ago.

"I'll go get them." April said.

"Thank you." Leo said.

She walked down the stairs with trepidation. The past three years had been hard on the brothers and April had not had any real way to help. She would bring down food and supplies. She would even try and help Don whenever she could, but his technological skills had surpassed hers years ago and so she was often more of a hindrance than help.

She wasn't sure how the brothers would take the news. They would be happy for sure, and relieved above all else but she would be foolish to think that Raphael at least wouldn't have any misgivings about the situation.

"April," Don greeted as she met them. "Is everything okay?"

"I –yeah. Yeah. I just… you won't believe it." She shook her head but couldn't help the smile tagging at her face. Don clued on quickly.

"Leo? He's okay?"

"Uh, well he's-,"

Mikey and Raph had already started up the stairs, and the two of them quickly followed.

"It's just, guys, he's not exactly-,"

They had already exceeded her up the stairs and Raphael had opened the door. He peered out and April could only guess that he had caught sight of their elder brother. He spared April one more glance before entering into the room. The rest of them followed.

Leonardo had turned as they entered.

"Leo?" Raph asked.

"Hi, guys." Leo said. "We… we should talk."


End file.
